Heidelberg opens calcined clay plant in Ghana

Heidelberg Materials and Ghanaian partner CBI Ghana have completed construction of what is claimed to be the world’s largest industrial-scale calcined clay production facility. Located in Tema, the plant will supply more than 400,000 tonnes of calcined clay per year for use in lower-carbon cement products.

The new facility is already operational and delivering cement with reduced clinker content to local customers. According to Heidelberg, substituting traditional Portland clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) like calcined clay can reduce the carbon footprint of cement by up to 40%.

The development is a key part of Heidelberg’s global decarbonisation strategy and will serve as a blueprint for similar projects. Calcined clay is seen as a particularly promising solution in West African countries, where large-scale limestone deposits are scarce. The project is also expected to boost local employment, with over 300 jobs created.

Hakan Gurdal, board member at Heidelberg Materials responsible for Africa-Mediterranean-Western Asia, said: “Our investment and the collaboration with CBI are paving the way for the transition to lower-emission cement production in this growing market.”

Dr Katharina Beumelburg, chief sustainability and new technologies officer at Heidelberg Materials, added: “This project not only represents a scalable sustainable solution for Ghana but also gives us valuable insights for future calcined clay developments worldwide.”

Calcination involves heating raw clay to temperatures between 650°C and 950°C. The resulting material can be used to reduce clinker content in cement, with significantly lower carbon emissions than traditional methods.

As cement consumption in Ghana is projected to double over the next 15 years, Heidelberg says it is positioning itself to meet demand with more sustainable, locally produced materials. Ghacem, Heidelberg’s local subsidiary, remains the market leader in Ghana’s cement sector.